The Botanical Society of America is one of the world’s largest scientific societies dedicated to the study of plants and serves as an umbrella organization that covers all plant specialties including conservation and ecology, historical botany, microbiological interactions, paleobotany, physiology, teaching plant science and more.

During the conference, Baghai-Riding served as a senior mentor in the Plants Grant program that is sponsored by the National Science Foundation. This year, she mentored Jocelyn Navarro, an undergraduate botany student from Connecticut College.

Baghai-Riding presented a professional poster on her research titled “Implications of a palynological sample from Bowie River.” She co-authored the research with Delta State students Kendal Davis and Raven Allison, along with Dr. Brian Axsmith from the University of Southern Alabama.

Also presented was “An elemental study of regional variation in noncommercial jams and jellies,”‘ a poster co-authored by Delta State students Callie Masterson, Raven Allison, Dana Rico, William Whittington, Breana Randle, Gregory Peacock and Dr. Chuck Smithhart, and “Stomatal density and carbon dioxide leaf peel study of four woody plant species in the Mississippi Delta,” which was co-authored by Hannah Taylor, Wilsonya Mitchell, Jon’ Ayo Farquharson and Madison Zoeller.

To learn more about the environmental science program at Delta State, email Baghai-Riding at nbaghai@deltastate.edu.

Bonnie Beth Moore, who received an American Chemistry Society (ACS) certified chemistry degree from Delta State in December 2015, was recently featured in a Mississippi Today story on the doctor shortage in Mississippi. Moore was an Elliott Scholar who graduated summa cum laude with over 160 credit hours.

Delta State University’s Division of Counselor Education and Psychology was well represented at the 125th American Psychological Association Convention in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Sally Zengaro, assistant professor and chair of the Division of Counselor Education and Psychology, and Dr. Jonathan Westfall, assistant professor of psychology, led a symposium on “Connecting with Students through the Use of One Digital Platform in Psychology Classes.” The presentation focused on using electronic resources for effective teaching in psychology.

“I am thrilled that Delta State was represented at one of the premier conferences in psychology,” Zengaro said. “Dr. Westfall and I presented a teaching symposium based on work in the psychology department on improving student learning. It was also great to have one of DSU’s master’s students present research she had performed on sport psychology. The opportunity to learn from and share with other psychologists at APA is a fantastic educational and professional development experience.”

“APA is the largest organization of psychologists in the United States and to be able to share my work on Open Educational Resources (OER) with my peers within APA and the Society for the Teaching of Psychology (APA Division 2) was an awesome experience,” Westfall said. “Based on the feedback I’ve received, the work I’ve done at Delta State will benefit hundreds of students throughout the United States. And the ability to network with leaders in the field will enrich my classes for years to come.”

Graduate student Elisabetta Zengaro presented her poster, “The Effects of Home-Field Advantage in College Basketball,” as part of the sport psychology division at APA. Zengaro’s poster explored the concept of referee bias and home-field advantage within the Gulf South Conference in NCAA DII.

“It was a wonderful experience to share my findings with professionals and peers within the field of sport psychology,” Zengaro said. “My results indicated home teams do in fact receive an advantage over away teams in terms of fouls awarded, and it was great to further that discussion at APA. With APA being such a competitive conference, it was an honor to represent Delta State as a student presenter.”

For more information about the psychology department at DSU, contact Dr. Sally Zengaro at (662) 846-4357 or szengaro@deltastate.edu.

Express Registration Day will take place at Delta State on Aug. 17 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Students planning to attend the fall term who have not registered for classes are encouraged to check in at Kent Wyatt Hall to take advantage of available student services all at one time.

The first 25 participants to complete their course schedule will receive a free Delta State t-shirt. All students who register during Express Registration Day will be entered to win a book voucher from Barnes and Noble. Refreshments will also be available throughout the day.

“The goal of Express Registration Day is to provide incoming and returning students with the opportunity to take care of any outstanding business before the fall rush,” said Caitlyn Thompson, director of recruiting at Delta State.

Representatives from the Office of Admissions, Financial Assistance, Student Business Services, Registrar, Housing, Graduate Studies, Student Life, Student Success Center and academic advisors will be available to assist students throughout the day.

Students are not required to sign up for Express Registration Day and may come and go at their convenience. Advising is only guaranteed through 2 p.m.

The staff in the Office of Admissions works with students to complete the undergraduate admission process, provides campus visits to prospective students, hosts and attends recruiting events, oversees new student scholarships and communicates with students individually. To complete an application or check admission status, visit www.deltastate.edu/account.